Recipes

Over the years we’ve come up with yummy recipes that include seaweeds for making soups, salads, beans, vegetables, chowders, crepes, pickles, tempura, stir-fries, dumplings and desserts! Click on each recipe title below to reveal it’s recipe.

Alaria

Alaria Preparation and Basics

In the kitchen, the quick way to cut dry alaria is with a scissors. You can also soak alaria, then use a knife to cut it. Since alaria expands as it rehydrates, the second method of cutting alaria (after it has rehydrated, with a knife) will give you more control over the size of your final pieces. Don’t throw away the soaking water! This water contains minerals. For instance, alaria is high in calcium. It’s comparable to whole sesame seeds as far as calcium content (1,100 mg/100 g) and has high vitamin A content (8487 IU/100 g) similar to parsley and spinach. It’s a wise choice for nourishing your bones. It’s rich in B complex vitamins, vitamin C & K. It has moderate iodine, good for everyone, especially those with type A or B blood. Use the soak water for cooking. Pre-soaking alaria is a way of tenderizing it. Pre-soak alaria for at least an hour, until the midrib is thoroughly rehydrated.

Total cooking time for alaria (slow boil/fast simmer) needs to be at least 20-40 minutes. Remember that this isn’t like Japanese wakame which is often parboiled before drying to make it tender (and also results in the loss of minerals!). After 20-40 minutes of simmering, add sliced vegetables. The simplest combination would be one part alaria to four parts carrots. Cook until the carrots are tender. Add tamari to taste. Sometimes I throw in a couple of cloves, and it seems to work. Another simple combination is one part alaria, four parts green beans and a handful of almonds or sliced almonds, cooked until the beans are tender. Add a dash of tamari and a sprig of parsley. Another way to handle this dish would be to simmer the alaria until tender, place the green beans in boiling water for two minutes, drain and run under cold water to retain crispness and color, and then sauté the green beans in a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for three minutes (use refined sesame oil), add alaria and continue to sauté for three to four minutes. Remove from heat and season with tamari and add tamari-roasted almonds or sliced almonds. Pecans will work, too. Serve hot or cold.

Alaria is delicious when cooked with rice, barley, or millet. Cooked with beans (adukis, lentils, pintos, etc.), alaria will impart a rich “gravy” texture and help make the beans more digestible.

Alaria with Vegetables and Pasta

Alaria with Vegetables and Pasta

Print Recipe

CourseMain Dish

Servings

2

Cook Time

30minutes

Servings

2

Cook Time

30minutes

Alaria with Vegetables and Pasta

Print Recipe

CourseMain Dish

Servings

2

Cook Time

30minutes

Servings

2

Cook Time

30minutes

Ingredients

Alaria

66" strips alaria

Sauce

1/2 cupTahini

1-2clovesgarlic

1/2inchgingerfresh and peeled

1tbspmiso or tamari

Vegetables

2carrotssliced into rounds or matchsticks

1/2cupred or yellow bell peppers(or mix of both)

10-15snow peascut into diagonal strips

1/2cupcauliflower florets

1/2cupbroccoli florets

4ozwhole wheat linguine or fettuccine pasta

Servings:

Instructions

Alaria

Snip the alaria into one inch strips directly into a small saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until tender.

Drain and save the cooking water. Set alaria aside.

Sauce

Combine in a blender: 1/2 cup tahini with lemon juice to taste, fresh herbs like thyme and basil and oregano, a clove or two of garlic, soak water from Alaria.

Set aside.

Vegetables

You may use any of your favorite vegetables. Blanch sliced vegetables in boiling water, looking for an intensification of color, immediately removing them to cold water and drain.

Bring the blanching water back to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, saving one cup cooking water. Put the pasta back in the pot and stir in a tablespoon of olive oil.

Add the vegetables and Alaria to the pasta and stir in the sauce, combining gently. Add a few tablespoons of saved cooking water if desired.

Reheat the mixture briefly and serve garnished with parsley and fresh herbs.

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Sautéed Alaria with Vegetables

Sautéed Alaria with Vegetables

Print Recipe

This sweet-salty dish was created by Karen Wildwood for her Macrobiotic cooking class in Portland, Maine.

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

Passive Time

15minutes

20minutes soak time

Servings

4

Cook Time

Passive Time

15minutes

20minutes soak time

Sautéed Alaria with Vegetables

Print Recipe

This sweet-salty dish was created by Karen Wildwood for her Macrobiotic cooking class in Portland, Maine.

Kelp

Kelp Overview

The life of a kelp plant is about three years, spent in a tidal flow that reverses direction every six hours. Imagine being anchored by a holdfast, your hollow stipe gently lifting you toward the light, your wide blade/frond growing in the ocean’s inflow/outflow/inflow/outflow……and you’re one of the multitude that have been doing this since the beginning of Ocean here on this planet. Your life began when your tiny spore settled and attached to a rock. The first year you grew to a foot long, the second year, six feet long, and now, in your third year, you are one of the elders in a kelp bed, twelve feet long and exposed to turbulence on the surface at low tide. This is your last year, and you are releasing spores from the tip of your frond that will become the next generation of kelp. You are one of the Old Ones, a member of one of the oldest families of sea plants on earth, aligned with the flow of the universe…..and in the Light…..and there is no “I”……there is only the ancient All in One.

A Google search on seaweed will reveal that it is being studied for its positive effects on cancer prevention, cardiovascular health, degenerative disease combatant, detoxification, infection control, intestinal cleanser and healer, respiratory enhancer, sexual health and hormone support, thyroid balancer, weight-loss aid, and wound healer. For me, kelp is one of the great balancers of my body, and I use it daily.

Kelp Basics

Reconstitute kelp by cutting 4-5 inch lengths with a scissors and then soaking in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, to use as a vegetable, cut into strips or small squares and add to stir-fried vegetables, bean stews, soups, hot cooked grains, or simple noodle dishes flavored with miso or tamari. Kelp goes well with carrots, onions, parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, tofu, parsley, kale, cabbage, and other greens. Kelp may be used as a tenderizer for cooking beans, peas, and lentils. Kelp contains glutamic acid that softens the beans, making them more digestible. Simply add a 4 inch piece of kelp per pound of dried beans and cook until tender.

Kelp with Onion and Parsnip

Kelp with Onion and Parsnip

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

20minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

20minutes

Kelp with Onion and Parsnip

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

20minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

20minutes

Ingredients

3-4inchKelp stripssoaked and sliced into long thin strips

1tspsesame oil

1large onionsliced into thin half moons

1-2medium parsnipssliced into matchsticks

tamarito taste

Servings:

Instructions

Heat oil in large skillet with heavy lid. Add kelp and sauté 1-2 minutes. Add onion and sauté until limp.

Add the cooked rice, stir in the ginger or cayenne, sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. Serve hot.

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Dulse

Dulse Basics

Freshly harvested and dried dulse is too tough for most people to chew. The secret of tender dulse is a bit like aging cheese. The dulse is spread out in the early morning hours to soak up a bit of humidity from the air, and then it is packed away tightly for a few weeks. This kicks off an enzyme process that breaks down the cell walls of the dulse, and the flavors slowly change.

Once dulse has been softened, it needs to be used within six months, unless it is kept refrigerated, in which case it can be kept for a year. Most people eat soft dulse as is or snip it onto salads and soups.

Dulse and Kale

Dulse and Kale

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Dulse and Kale

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Ingredients

1/2cupDulse

Refined sesame oil

2cloves garlicminced

8cupskalechopped

1/3cuptamari-roasted sunflower seeds

Servings:

Instructions

Soak the dulse for 10 minutes in a bowl with water just to cover. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid.

Mince two cloves garlic and sauté briefly in two tablespoons refined sesame oil. Add two quarts chopped kale and sauté until the color deepens. Add 1⁄2 cup soaked, drained, chopped Dulse and 1⁄3 cup tamari-roasted sunflower seeds. Add a few teaspoons of the dulse soaking liquid to the pan. Cover and steam about two minutes.

A variation on the above recipe would add sautéed parsnips and/or onions in addition to the garlic.

Tamari-roasted sunflower seeds:

Heat 1⁄3 cup raw sunflower seeds in a cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until seeds give off a sweet, toasty smell and are lightly colored. Remove from heat. Sprinkle on a few dashes of tamari while stirring seeds. Scrape the hot seeds and tamari into a wooden bowl to cool. These are very good as a snack, too, so make extra!

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DLT - Dulse, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

DLT - Dulse, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Print Recipe

CourseMain Dish

Servings

1

Cook Time

10minutes

Servings

1

Cook Time

10minutes

DLT - Dulse, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

Print Recipe

CourseMain Dish

Servings

1

Cook Time

10minutes

Servings

1

Cook Time

10minutes

Instructions

Pan fry Dulse in refined sesame oil over medium heat, pressing down with a spatula and flipping frequently for about one minute. The dulse will become crisp, turn yellow/green, and smell like bacon.

Remove from pan and pat oil off with paper towel. Color will return to deep red when the dulse cools.

Digitata

Digitata Overview

Digitata kelp grows in the most turbulent surf conditions, just below the alaria zone. Even on a flat calm day, there is movement in a digitata bed. Harvesting digitata kelp from a low-sided boat is a bit like playing rodeo. Grab the plant below the many-bladed frond (just hold up your hand and imagine your hand is the frond and the short stipe is attached at your wrist) and hang on tight! while you saw away at the stipe with a serrated frozen food knife wrapped and bound with old wetsuit material so it’s easy to grab and will float. Sometimes I feel my shoulder tugged in its socket, just like the cowboy hanging on to the lasso, roping calves. In my case, I have to watch out for breaking waves that can sink my boat. I’m playing at the edge of breakers, all the time. When the little eight foot boat is full (about eight bushels), I row back to the container boat and transfer the load. On a good new moon tide (a tide that goes out a foot lower than average low water), I will manage to do this five or six times.

Because digitata grows in such turbulence, it is not damaged by snails. As the summer goes on, digitata becomes sweet with mannitol sugar, and sometimes this sugar comes to surface as the plants dry. Not many plants can remain sweet without succumbing to pests. I admire digitata kelp for maintaining its own gentle sweet nature in a world of turbulence. May we all be so.

Digitata Basics

If I had to choose one variety of kelp for my kitchen, I would choose digitata kelp. This may be substituted into any recipe calling for kombu, for digitata’s cooking qualities are much the same. Reconstituted and cooked for fifteen minutes, digitata behaves like a vegetable and becomes softer. Cooked for an hour or more, digitata dissolves and creates a delicious creamy soup stock that the Japanese would call dashi. Just add ginger and tamari. The alginates that are released from the digitata through long cooking are able to bind (chelate) with the large molecules of heavy metals and radioactive isotopes and remove them from the body. Moreover, digitata contains iodine which nourishes and protects the thyroid so that it will not absorb radioactive iodine. My skin always gets softer when I handle digitata which is oozing with slippery alginates. Its softening effects on the body are obvious.

Beans with Digitata and Vegetables

Beans with Digitata and Vegetables

Print Recipe

CourseMain Dish

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

20minutes

3hours, for cooking beans

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

20minutes

3hours, for cooking beans

Beans with Digitata and Vegetables

Print Recipe

CourseMain Dish

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

20minutes

3hours, for cooking beans

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

20minutes

3hours, for cooking beans

Ingredients

1cupdry pinto, kidney, or Scarlet Runner beans

1smallwhole onion

1stalkcelery

1smallcarrot

1largebay leaf

1/2stripof Digitata kelp (6″)

1tbspolive oil

1largeleekcleaned and sliced into rounds

1largecloves garlicsliced

2carrotssliced into thick rounds

1stalkcelerysliced thick

1mediumparsnipsliced into thick half-moons

1tspdried Thymesavory or sage leaves or a combination of all three

2cupskalecut into 2″ strips

1-2tspsea salt

Black pepper to taste

2tbspparsleyminced for garnish

Servings:

Instructions

Sort beans into a strainer and rinse several times. Place beans in a large soup pot or cast-iron casserole with lid and add water to about 2 inches above the top of beans. Include with the beans the Digitata, the whole onion, stalk of celery, cut in half, carrot, cut in half, and bay leaf.

Bring beans to a boil briefly. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for at least 1 hour.

After the beans have soaked, add more water to return the water level to 2 inches above the beans and bring all to a boil. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours or until a bean can be crushed easily with the back of a spoon. Check pot occasionally for water and add more if needed. If using a pressure cooker, seal lid, bring up to pressure, turn to low heat and cook 40 minutes.

While beans are cooking, prepare vegetables. In a medium frying pan, sauté leeks and garlic in olive oil over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid browning too much. When leeks are soft, add celery, carrot and parsnip to the pan and toss with leek mixture. Add herbs to the vegetable mixture and set aside until beans are cooked.

When beans are tender, carefully remove and discard the onion, celery, carrot and bay leaf. Stir in the Digitata, which should be very soft and falling to pieces. Drain off all but about an inch of liquid from the beans and set aside. Add the sea salt and pepper to the beans and mix well. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the bean pot and stir in. Add kale and a little of the reserved cooking liquid if needed.

Return the bean mixture to a simmer and cook, covered, for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended. Taste for salt. Garnish with minced parsley and serve with a salad and brown rice.

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Digitata with Spicy Root Vegetables

Digitata with Spicy Root Vegetables

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Digitata with Spicy Root Vegetables

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Ingredients

1tbsplight sesame oil

6inchpiece Digitatasoaked and cut into thin strips

pinch of cayenne pepper

tamari

Mirinwhite wine or dry sherry

1smallleekthinly sliced on diagonal

1/2cupdaikonsliced in fine matchsticks

1/2cupcarrotssliced in fine matchsticks

1/2cuprounds of thinly sliced lotus root(if not available, use sliced small white turnip)

Stir in root vegetables and season lightly with tamari. Stir-fry until carrots are crisp-tender (3-4 minutes).

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley.

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Nori

Nori Overview

Most of our customers enjoy our whole wild nori right out of the bag or toasted lightly in a 250º oven until very crisp, then eaten like chips. You can also crumble the toasted nori easily with your fingers onto any dish. To make nori flakes, put a larger amount of the toasted nori in a food processor and pulse until the flakes are the desired size. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. Nori can also be soaked in a saucer of water for 15 minutes, then cut into small pieces on a cutting board with a sharp knife. Add the cut nori to stir-fries with garlic, ginger and tamari. A little nori makes a nice addition to miso vegetable soup.

Fried Rice with Nori

Fried Rice with Nori

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Fried Rice with Nori

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

4

Cook Time

15minutes

Ingredients

2 tbspRefined sesame oil

2tspThyme

1cuponionsdiced

1/2cupcarrotscut into matchsticks

1cuptoasted nori(bake in 250o oven for 10 minutes)

1/2cupcelerydiced

3tbsptamari

2cupscooked brown rice

3-4tspjuice from freshly grated ginger(a 3 inch piece)

1/2cupalmondschopped and toasted in a dry frying pan

Servings:

Instructions

Sauté onions sprinkled with thyme in oil for 5-7 minutes. Crumble nori with hands and add with the carrots to the onion mixture. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Stir in the celery and 2 Tbsp of tamari. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the brown rice, 1 Tbsp of tamari and ginger juice. Add a splash of water if rice seems too dry. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat, combine with 2 tsp tamari and diced celery. Taste and add more tamari if needed. Serve on bread or crackers with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Alternate Method:

Steam tofu after pressing and skip the sauté process. Substitute 1⁄2 cup minced scallions or sweet red onion for cooking onion. Place all ingredients (except celery and parsley) in food processor and blend until smooth.

Mix in celery and serve as above.

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Irish Moss

Irish Moss Overview

Our Irish Moss is unbleached and in its natural state. To clean, take a handful of the moss and soak it in cold water in a large pot. After a few minutes begin to rub the moss with your fingers to remove any snails (the size of sand grains) and tiny “shrimp” that float to the surface. Drain the moss in a colander with large holes. Repeat the rinse & drain process two more times. When the moss is clean, you can add it to your recipe. Irish Moss can be marinated in an Asian dressing (rice vinegar with a dash of tamari and a sprinkle of lightly toasted sesame seeds) and used as a raw seaweed salad or garnish. It can also be added to soups and stews as a light thickener that creates a nutrient-dense broth. Toss a few pieces of soaked and cleaned moss into a green smoothie for an extra boost of minerals and iodine.

Irish Moss Fruit Gel Dessert

Irish Moss Fruit Gel Dessert

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

45minutes

4-8hours chill time

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

45minutes

4-8hours chill time

Irish Moss Fruit Gel Dessert

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

45minutes

4-8hours chill time

Servings

8

Cook Time

Passive Time

45minutes

4-8hours chill time

Ingredients

1handfulIrish moss

1sprigmintor mint tea bag

1/2cupapple juice

1lemonjuiced

1apple

1pear

1cupmixed berries

Maple syrup or honeyto taste

Servings:

Instructions

Take a handful of the moss and soak it in cold water in a large pot. After a few minutes begin to rub the moss with your fingers to remove any snails (the size of sand grains) and tiny “shrimp” that float to the surface. Rinse several times in a strainer and soak again in new water just to cover the moss for half an hour.

Add a sprig of mint or a mint teabag and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer and cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally. It will foam up a lot, so use a DEEP pot! Allow to cool slightly and pour into a strainer over a large bowl. Let drain and scrape the thick sauce off the bottom of the strainer with a rubber spatula. Discard the remaining moss.

To this juice add 1⁄2 cup apple juice and some maple syrup or honey to taste. Pour into a smaller bowl and add cut up fruit: apple, pear, blueberries and raspberries. Cover and chill overnight or until set.

You can also make a dessert gel with cooked fruit. While you make the gel, stew fruit together in a separate sauce pan (apples are always a good choice), and add cinnamon, vanilla, chopped nuts, and sweetener to taste. Brighten it with lemon zest or orange zest or lemon juice if you like. Combine with the gel, and let it all cool. Chill overnight, or until set. Serve with whipped cream.

Finish off with a generous amount of greens:
Kale, parsley, celery. Add the onions.

If you have fresh herbs, now is the time!

This soup gets better on the second day
And you can add pasta sauce, noodles
And cut corn, totally renewing its flavors.
Enjoy!

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Curried Red Lentil Soup

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Print Recipe

CourseSoups

Servings

10

Cook Time

30minutes

Servings

10

Cook Time

30minutes

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Print Recipe

CourseSoups

Servings

10

Cook Time

30minutes

Servings

10

Cook Time

30minutes

Ingredients

2cupsred lentils

2tbspcoconut oil

1onionchopped

4clovesgarlicminced

4 or 5carrotssliced in half-moons

3stalkscelerysliced

5kale leavesribs removed and chopped 1 bell pepper, cut into small

1/4cupSeaweed Soup Mix

1tspground cumin

1tspcurry powder

1tspblack pepper

10cupswater

1tspsea salt

Servings:

Instructions

In a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in oil. Add carrots, celery and
peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes.

Add Seaweed Soup Mix, red lentils, salt and spices. Slowly stir in water.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer partly covered until
lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally. Stir in chopped kale and cook
for 5 more minutes until kale is tender, but still bright green. Taste for
salt. Enjoy!

Place Seaweed Soup Mix and the water in a medium soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add broccoli, parsnips and salt. Simmer several minutes until the parsnips are cooked. Add dill and simmer 1-2 minutes more.

Add lemon juice and taste for salt. Place soup in individual serving bowls, being sure to include 1-2 broccoli flowers and several cubes of parsnips in each dish. Garnish with a sprig of dill and lemon slice.

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Miso Dumpling Soup

Miso Dumpling Soup

Print Recipe

CourseSoups

Servings

4-6

Servings

4-6

Miso Dumpling Soup

Print Recipe

CourseSoups

Servings

4-6

Servings

4-6

Ingredients

Dumplings

8ozextra firm tofupressed for 10 minutes to remove excess water

8ozfresh bean sprouts

1cupnapa cabbagefinely chopped

3scallionsfinely chopped

1tbspsesame seedslightly toasted and crushed

3clovesgarlicminced

Pinchsea salt

3inpiece of gingerpeeled and grated

20wonton pastry wrappersthawed (egg and preservative-free varieties are available frozen)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch bean sprouts, then cabbage. Cool both in cold water and drain well. Chop very fine and set aside.

Crumble tofu and combine with bean sprouts, cabbage, and all the remaining ingredients. Mix well with hands. Taste for salt and add more if needed.

Working on a at surface, lay out a few wonton wrappers. (Keep remaining wrappers covered.) Fill a small bowl partially with cold water and set aside. Place a heaping teaspoon of the tofu mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper. Dip finger in cold water and wet the outer edges of the wonton wrapper. Bring 2 opposite corners of the wrapper together to form a triangle and enclose the filling. Press edges firmly around the mound of filling to eliminate any air pockets and seal. Moisten opposite corners of the long side. Curl moistened corners toward each other, overlapping one on top of the other, and press the corners together to seal. Assemble all the wontons in this manner and set aside. Cover with a damp paper towel to prevent dumplings from drying out.

Miso Broth

Place warm water in pot with digitata and shiitake mushrooms. Let soak for 1/2 hour. Remove digitata and slice into 1/2 inch squares. Slice shiitake, discarding stems. Return all to the pot of soaking water. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes, covered. While broth is cooking, assemble the wontons.

When the broth is ready, carefully add the tofu cubes and wontons. In a small bowl, combine a few spoonfuls of broth with the miso and stir until it dissolves. Simmer wontons for 5 minutes until wrapper turns translucent. Taste for salt. Stir wontons gently while they are cooking. Return miso mixture to pot. Simmer gently for 1 minute.

Add scallions and serve immediately.

For variety, add 1 cup of sliced bok choi and 1 cup snow peas to the broth instead of the soft tofu. Simmer with the wontons for 5 minutes.